Virat Kohli’s former RCB teammate wants South Africa to beat India, win T20 World Cup 2024 final

With just a couple of hours left before the epic decider on which cricketing giant would lift the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2024, legendary South African batter AB de Villiers predicted the Proteas would have a better chance than India.

Aiden Markram-led South Africa will clash with Rohit Sharma-led India in the finals of the T20 World Cup at Barbados' Kensington Oval stadium from 8 PM (IST) onwards.

Call it a history in making or just sheer performance of both teams, neither South Africa nor India have lost a single match in this T20 World Cup and this is a record.

According to AB de Villiers, a very good friend of Virat Kohli and former Royal Challenger Bengaluru opener, the Proteas have the perfect combination to make history. In contrast, India's top-class players will make it an epic final, he added.

Taxing to X, AB de Villiers wrote, “My heart says South Africa will win! The Proteas have the perfect combination to make history. India’s top-class players will make it an epic final. Play responsibly, predict your winner on @Wolf7Pay, and enjoy the final!”

Here's the tweet:

Earlier on 27 June, South Africa finally broke the semi-final jinx as they thrashed Afghanistan to storm into their maiden final of the ICC tournament.

The Proteas took all the wickets of Rashid Khan-led side by restricting them to 56 in just 11.5 overs, while chasing down the total within nine overs.

After the match, he had said in a video he posted on his X channel, “Well done Proteas, you have made us all proud. Onwards and upwards. Never been in the final of the World Cup, so new territory for all of us. As fans, we are right behind you guys, and we cannot wait to watch you play that final. It is a very special gift from you to Steyn on his birthday.”

India vs South Africa: Squads

India: Rohit Sharma(c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sanju Samson, Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal

South Africa: Quinton de Kock(w), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram(c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi, Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Bjorn Fortuin, Ryan Rickelton.

With agency inputs.